NEW YORK, August 7, 2013 -DirectWomen announced today the members of the 2014 DirectWomen Board Institute, a program, now in its 6^th year, designed to identify and promote qualified women lawyers to serve on corporate boards of public companies. The Board Institute will be held January 22-24, 2014 in New York City. ABM Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Sarah Hlavinka McConnell has been included amongst the distinguished group.

The 2014 DirectWomen Class is composed of an outstanding group of accomplished women lawyers, which include general counsels of Fortune 500 companies as well as partners at top law firms.

The 2014 class members represent a wide range of business knowledge and experience. Fourteen members of the new class are in-house counsel or executives at leading companies in their industries, which include the energy, financial, information & technology, insurance and manufacturing sectors. Six of these companies are listed in the Fortune 500. The 2014 class also includes the Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs of New York City, as well as two partners from prominent law firms.

The DirectWomen Board Institute is an annual two-day program providing an orientation and update on key issues facing current and future directors, with the goal of positioning a group of exceptional senior women lawyers for service as directors of major U.S. corporations. The Board Institute faculty features experienced directors and officers of large public companies. The program covers topics including the role and work of nominating and corporate governance committees, the evolving nature of shareholder relations, the strategic role of audit committees and the role of executive search firms in board searches. In addition, the Institute affords participants the opportunity to network with DirectWomen alumnae and past recipients of the Sandra Day O'Connor Board Excellence Award which honors women lawyers who have served with distinction as independent directors of public companies, as well as top representatives of executive search firms.

The mission of DirectWomen is to increase the representation of women lawyers on corporate boards. DirectWomen identifies, develops, and supports a growing group of accomplished women attorneys who provide the experience, independence and diversity required for good corporate governance. Both Catalyst, the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business, and the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession are partners with DirectWomen.

The members of the 2014 DirectWomen Board Institute are:

Susan Blount
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Prudent Financial, Inc.
Newark, New Jersey

Marcy Sharon Cohen
Managing Director, General Counsel and Head of Legal for the Americas, ING Financial Holdings Corporation
New York, New York

Sheri H. Edison
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Bemis Company, Inc.
Neenah, Wisconsin

Barbara Finigan
Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Hasbro, Inc.
Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Kayla Gillan
Principal, Leader of Investor Resource Institute, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Alexandria, Virginia

Marie Oh Huber
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Santa Clara, California

Sarah Hlavinka McConnell
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, ABM Industries Incorporated
New York, New York

Amanda M. McMillian
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
The Woodlands, Texas

Sheri L. Mossbeck
Vice President and Treasurer, Leggett & Platt, Incorporated
Carthage, Missouri

Kim M. Rivera
Chief Legal Officer, DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.
Denver, Colorado

Carol Robles-Roman
Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs and Counsel to the Mayor, Mayor's Office, The City of New York
New York, New York

Michelle A. Russell
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, YRC Worldwide Inc.
Overland Park, Kansas

Margaret Self
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Analog Devices, Inc.
Norwood, Massachusetts

Barbara Sicalides
Partner, Pepper Hamilton LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Allison Leopold Tilley
Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Palo Alto, California

Simone Wu
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, Choice Hotels International, Inc.
Rockville, Maryland

Loria Baskerville Yeadon
Executive Vice President, Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC
Mercer Island, Washington

Media Contact:
Sarah Gevlin (518) 929-4077
sgevlin@directwomen.org